H. T. wrote: >> Caliann the Elf <calianng_graves at yahoo.com> wrote: >> >>> Frank Mayhar <frank at exit.com> wrote: >> >>> "Easy to ignore?" Where have _you_ been living? >> >> >> >> As for me, I have been living in SE Texas, which is the BUCKLE in the >>> Bible Belt. Yes, I have had religion affect me negatively, >>> especially the Christian religion. I *still* find it pretty easy >>> to ignore 90% >of the time. > > Okay, now that everyone knows where you are living, I wonder if you > ever go outside of your house? :) > > Perhaps it is easier for some to ignore than others. I have had > problems ignoring it and I live in So. Cal. which I would believe by > comparison to Texas is very liberal in its religious views. (Or, > perhaps, now that I look back on Frank Mayhar's thread, and see he is > from here too I wonder if we are in a more religious climate than we > would like to imagine.) Yet, every time I make a solid attempt to > ignore it, or people that are trying to push it, I find myself having > it pushed at me. When this happens I eventually, (as I usually do > *try* to ignore it but these people won't quit), find myself yet > again having to stop and say "look, here are my views and no offense > but anything you say is not going to change my mind on that, so > please stop trying because at no point in this conversation am I > going to agree with you, ever." this seems to me to be your perceptions about things that is making you think your area is highly religious. The only thing I see that symbolizes religion to me where I live is the churches, that's really about it. > > >> My family still sends me "God Loves You" based e-mails. I delete >> >them. I learned long ago not to try to talk them out of sending >> them >to me. <shrugs> > > > Okay, what do you do about holidays? Times when people are in this > hospital? Birth of children in your family? Can you ignore it then > when they say "If only God..." or "God has been good to us..." etc. > Or worse yet, expressing their Christian views and their disdain for > anyone that is not Christian. Of course, if you believe in God, or > are Christian I am sure this is much easier. > > > >> I have found even less of a reason to share my religious preferences >> >as my sexual preferences. Work makes a sparkling conversation >> topic >at work. >> >> > Humph, I myself have found the exact opposite. In fact one of the > reasons I left my last job because the entire office tried to push > religion. The funny thing is though, they were of various religions > and always trying to push it, I now work for a group of Mormons and I > hardly ever hear it. Nonetheless, it is hard when even *they* start > talking religion, as it seems a great majority of people do at one > time or another, to know how to speak. This is especially difficult > when ignoring the situation would be inappropriate, saying "I am an > __________" would be even less appropriate, or even worse may give > them reason to think about terminating my employment (other than my > reading this darn message board instead of working half the time). > > >> As for being insulted by national figures on public television? >> Well, >I have yet to take anything said on television personally. >> How can >someone who does not know me insult me? > > > Yeah, this one I have to agree with you on. On television in general, > if you don't like it, turn it off. If you don't like the political > structure you are under, work for social change. > > In sum, I find the whole religion thing very difficult to ignore, so > please elucidate to me as to how this can be accomplished since you > attest that you have mastered this art. I swear if it is as simple as > you make it and you have some 'sure fire won't fail method' I will be > eternally grateful. > > ~Holly~ > > _________________________________________________________________ > Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. > http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail